Peanut allergy develops when the body's immune system has an abnormal hypersensitivity response to one or more peanut allergens. Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies in both children and adults. It receives particular attention because it is relatively common, typically lifelong, and can cause severe allergic reactions. Peanut allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis and death due to food allergy. It can lead to significant burden on patients and their families. Peanut is a common food ingredient making strict avoidance difficult. Therefore, there is a relatively high rate of accidental peanut ingestion for those trying to avoid peanuts. For these reasons, peanut allergy has become an important public health issue.
Research is currently underway focused on the development of compositions for the treatment of peanut allergy. Methods are needed for determining in vitro peanut allergen release data of known and newly developed compositions, both for quality control and to predict in vivo release profiles.